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Engine developed a miss the other day... loss of power.

Drove the DeLorean to work the other day and when I got there, I smelled a faint melting rubber smell. Thought it might be a belt, so I quick checked the belts and none were shiny or hot from slipping. Thought I'd check it out better after work when I got home. On my way home about 10 minutes into the drive, accelerating through fourth gear, it happened.... lost power and felt just like a spark plug miss. Pulled over, and couldn't see any wires loose or melted. Still smelled the rubber smell too. Very faintly. Got it home, but something definitely isn't right.

I had similar symptoms happen to me in my Geo, it was a wire melted and shorting on the exhaust manifold. (Rubber smell, engine miss.) But checking under the hood, the wires in the D run on top, and nowhere near the exhaust.

So, I plan on checking the wires and vac hoses as they are a giant snarl and not routed very well on my car. But is there any DeLorean-specific problem this might be?

Thanks!

"If you're going to spend your inheritance on a car, why not do it with some style!"
Josh S.

Drove the DeLorean to work the other day and when I got there, I smelled a faint melting rubber smell. Thought it might be a belt, so I quick checked the belts and none were shiny or hot from slipping. Thought I'd check it out better after work when I got home. On my way home about 10 minutes into the drive, accelerating through fourth gear, it happened.... lost power and felt just like a spark plug miss. Pulled over, and couldn't see any wires loose or melted. Still smelled the rubber smell too. Very faintly. Got it home, but something definitely isn't right.

I had similar symptoms happen to me in my Geo, it was a wire melted and shorting on the exhaust manifold. (Rubber smell, engine miss.) But checking under the hood, the wires in the D run on top, and nowhere near the exhaust.

So, I plan on checking the wires and vac hoses as they are a giant snarl and not routed very well on my car. But is there any DeLorean-specific problem this might be?

+1
Also check your fan fail jumpers and fuses if you have those. Those jumpers won't cause the miss but could cause the burning smell.

Would the fan fail be in the engine compartment? I assume the fuse will be. My car runs really cool, fans hardly run and it was cool out that day. But I do know the PO replaced the fan with new upgraded ones. Perhaps they draw a bit more juice than stock.

Originally Posted by mluder

There"s a couple dangerously close to the CAT on the drivers side and the axle on the passenger side worth looking at.

Cheers
Steve M

Actually, I was sensing the smell more on the driver's side. This might be the case, especially if the wires are routed poorly as mine are.

Originally Posted by David T

Check the fuse block. If an automatic check the wiring harness to the shift computer.

Fuse #7, fuses in general going to get checked. And it's a 5spd. Forgot to mention that.

Thanks all. I'll probably get time to go poking around on Wed or Thurs. This gives me a good place to start.

"If you're going to spend your inheritance on a car, why not do it with some style!"
Josh S.

Would the fan fail be in the engine compartment? I assume the fuse will be. My car runs really cool, fans hardly run and it was cool out that day. But I do know the PO replaced the fan with new upgraded ones. Perhaps they draw a bit more juice than stock.

The fan fail is the blue relay socket behind passenger seat. If you have new low power fans than your probably fine with the fan fail.

The connector in the circle, I'm assuming is a diagnostic of some sort. The melted connector (with the arrow) was just kind of hanging out right where it is so I will assume it is not the problem, though it may have once been related. That melted connector heads to the underside of the diagnostic, along with another wire (or group in a loom, I can't tell from the topside) that come up from under the engine. And that other wire(s) is/are definitely melted on the manifold and I will wager, making contact. Now, I haven't gotten under the car to see where that wire(s) go off to. But, can anyone give me a heads up as to what this group of wires should go to, and where it should be routed properly? There are a lot of weirdly routed wires/hoses/lines in my engine bay... like my spark plug wires that look like someone french braided them.

The connector in the circle, I'm assuming is a diagnostic of some sort. The melted connector (with the arrow) was just kind of hanging out right where it is so I will assume it is not the problem, though it may have once been related. That melted connector heads to the underside of the diagnostic, along with another wire (or group in a loom, I can't tell from the topside) that come up from under the engine. And that other wire(s) is/are definitely melted on the manifold and I will wager, making contact. Now, I haven't gotten under the car to see where that wire(s) go off to. But, can anyone give me a heads up as to what this group of wires should go to, and where it should be routed properly? There are a lot of weirdly routed wires/hoses/lines in my engine bay... like my spark plug wires that look like someone french braided them.

The diagnostic connector has an orange wire from the bulkhead which lets you read the dwell of the frequency valve. There is also a purple wire from the bulkhead which supplies 12 volts from the dome light circuit. A black wire supplies ground and a sensor from the flywheel gear supplies an RMP related signal.

The diagnostic connector has an orange wire from the bulkhead which lets you read the dwell of the frequency valve. There is also a purple wire from the bulkhead which supplies 12 volts from the dome light circuit. A black wire supplies ground and a sensor from the flywheel gear supplies an RMP related signal.

Well, that could be why my battery kept dying unusually fast as well....

"If you're going to spend your inheritance on a car, why not do it with some style!"
Josh S.